"This self-inflicted, humbling experience will make me a better man, educator and administrator," wrote Thompson, 41, the Parchment Middle School assistant principal and district athletic director.

The e-mail was sent hours before the school board was to hold a special hearing to consider a recommendation by Superintendent Matt Miller to change Thompson's job status from paid to unpaid leave. In the e-mail, Thompson formally requested the change of status, negating the need for the hearing.

"I have and will continue to use this time to deal with this issue," Thompson wrote. "I am grateful for all the prayers and incredible support I have received from my colleagues, the school district and the community."

The e-mail, which was obtained from the school district through a Freedom of Information Act request from MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette, is the only comment from Thompson that has been made public since his April 4 arrest in Richland Township.

According to the police report, a Richland police pursued Thompson's car at speeds of up to 120 mph along Gull Road. At the time of his arrest, Thompson's blood-alcohol level was 0.25 percent, more than three times the legal limit for operating a vehicle, and there was an open bottle of vodka in his car, according to court documents.

The police report also notes that Thompson told the arresting officer he
was with Miller earlier that night and that he urged the officer to contact the superintendent
because "he can take care of this."

Thompson has been charged with fourth-degree fleeing and eluding police, which is a felony. He also was charged with three misdemeanors: Operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, operating a motor vehicle with a high blood-alcohol content and having an open intoxicant inside of a vehicle.

Thompson's arrest and school officials' response to it has been a source of ongoing controversy for the past two months, and has sparked a recall campaign against the seven school board members.

Critics are upset that Miller and the board allowed Thompson to return to work for two weeks before charges were filed. They also say that the board has not communicated adequately with the public, and that Miller owes the public a more detailed explanation of his role that night.

Matt Miller

Documents obtained through the FOIA request show Miller did not tell board members until April 25, three weeks after Thompson's arrest, that he was with Thompson that evening.

The information became public when the news media obtained copies of the police report. After reporters contacted Miller seeking comment, he had his administrative assistant send an e-mail to board members.

"Matt wants you to know that he was with (Thompson) earlier that night but none of the rest of it is true -- he didn't do or say that to John," the e-mail said about the reports that Miller would "take care" of the arrest. "Matt wouldn't make a personal comment to the reporter, but he wants you to know."

In a written statement to the press on April 26, Miller said that he and Thompson met the evening of April 3 at a restaurant to have dinner and watch a basketball game on television. He has said that Thompson left the place without telling him and a call from a reporter the next morning was the "first inkling I had that something was wrong."

On Friday, Miller told the Gazette that he was contacted the morning of April 4 by a reporter from WWMT NewsChannel 3 who said the station had heard another administrator had been arrested. Miller told them that was incorrect because that administrator was out of state.

But several hours later, Miller said, he got a call from Thompson, who said he had been arrested and provided details "to the best of his recollection."

Miller said that he does not remember how or when he contacted board members with news of Thompson's arrest, and the documents provided to the Gazette do not include such an e-mail to trustees.

Miller said he did not take action immediately after Thompson's arrest because "no charges had been made and no other information was available. At that time, based on the information available, there was no reason to remove him from his duties," Miller wrote in a May 3 memo to trustees.

The documents from the district show that school officials initially downplayed the arrest, which happened during the school system's spring break.

When school resumed on April 9, Miller sent an e-mail to some staff that read: "Welcome back! As the media has run with the story regarding John, please know that he is back hard at work as always. That is really the end of the story, too."

High School Principal Scott Karaptian sent a similar message to his staff on the Sunday before school resumed: "What you need to know is that Mr. Thompson will be at school Monday and we will be doing business as usual. There is nothing that needs to be said or any message relayed to students. If anyone asks you questions, let them know this is none of their business and/or this is not a topic of discussion."

The district did not take action on Thompson's job status until April 23, when an arrest warrant was issued by a Kalamazoo County District Court judge. The delay in filing charges occurred because authorities
were awaiting results of a blood test.

Miller met with Thompson on the morning of April 23 and told him he was being placed on administrative leave "effective immediately," since the charges included a felony, according to the May 3 memo.

In that memo, Miller said that after the police report and video were released, he requested a special board meeting for May 3 "to consider a recommendation from me for an unpaid administrative leave for Mr. Thompson." The memo said that before the meeting, Thompson offered to go on unpaid leave, so the meeting was canceled.

"Thoughout this process, Board Policy and applicable laws have been followed," Miller concluded in the memo. "Board legal counsel was conferred with and advised throughout the entire process."